Daniel Cormier names former rival over Fedor Emelianenko as heavyweight GOAT

Daniel Cormier recently revealed that he doesn't consider Fedor Emelianenko to be the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time. Instead, he bestowed his former rival Stipe Miocic with that honor.

Emelianenko concluded a career that spanned over two decades when he laid down his gloves in the cage at Bellator 290 this past weekend. 'The Last Emperor' fought his last fight against Ryan Bader, losing via knockout in the first round. The legendary fighter retired with a professional MMA record of 40-7-1.

While many consider Fedor Emelianenko the heavyweight 'GOAT' in the sport, UFC Hall of Famer Cormier recently joined Dana White in outright rejecting that notion.

On a recent episode of ESPN MMA's DC & RC Show, Daniel Cormier cited the 46-year-old's 'Cult of Personality', stating:

"I think that the myth of Fedor is bigger than what he is in MMA history. It's lore. It's the tall tale. I don't believe he's the greatest heavyweight of all time. That belongs to Stipe Miocic... The title defenses and the long reign at the top of the division puts him on top. But Fedor is in the top five."

Watch the full episode below:

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Daniel Cormier weighs in on Khabib Nurmagomedov not being in Islam Makhachev's corner at UFC 284

Daniel Cormier has an optimistic take on Khabib Nurmagomedov being absent from his longtime friend and protege Islam Makhachev's corner at UFC 284 in Perth.

Makhachev will undoubtedly face his biggest test this weekend as he goes up against Alexander Volkanovski for his first title defense. The superfight will see the featherweight champion fight the lightweight champion, with both the pound-for-pound number one spot and the 155-pound strap on the line.

Not long ago, it was announced that Nurmagomedov would be taking a step back from being involved in the sport to spend time with his family. It was also confirmed that the former lightweight champion will miss Makhachev's first title defense and will be absent from his corner.

While many have opined that this may have a negative impact on the Dagestani's performance against Volkanovski, Daniel Cormier disagrees. In the same episode as above, 'DC' claimed Makhachev has accepted the reality and is prepared for it:

"It's like Khabib was playing a video game. He was explaining like he was holding the controller with Islam Makhachev as the character he was using to get that submission [against Dan Hooker at UFC 267]. I think he's come to terms with it...Everything I see him say, tells me he's come to terms with, 'Now I have to go and compete without my guy.'"